The Beer Nut: 'The Beer Book' proves to be a perfect drinking companion

Wednesday

Oct 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMOct 29, 2008 at 2:20 AM

When I'm at a liquor store, it's not unusual to see someone staring at shelf after shelf of craft beer, grab a couple, read the labels before putting them down and walking out with a 12-pack of Budweiser.

Norman Miller

When I'm at a liquor store, it's not unusual to see someone staring at shelf after shelf of craft beer, grab a couple, read the labels before putting them down and walking out with a 12-pack of Budweiser.

It's the intimidation factor what the heck is a porter or a bock or a quad? Plunking down money for something when you have no idea what it is is a sometimes daunting thing to do.

But, "The Beer Book" (from DK Publishing) is a fantastic way for someone to demystify the world of beer.

The 352-page book features 1,200 photos, discusses beers from 800 breweries and features more than 1,700 different beers from several different countries.

"I wanted to produce a book that is a steppingstone into the fascinating world of beer, the people who make it, the places where it is made and the wonderful natural raw materials it is made from," said Tim Hampson, a beer writer from England, who is editor-in-chief of and contributor to the book.

"The Book of Beer is all about a journey, an adventure that begins every time you take a sip of beer, be it at home or in a favorite bar."

The book is broken down into several sections.

Hampson features five "Key Nations," which include the United States, Germany, the British Isles, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

It also does larger features on specific breweries, such as Anheuser-Busch, the Brooklyn Brewing Company, Orval and Guinness.

There are brewery maps and a feature called "Beer Trails," which details possible beer vacations to spots such as Oregon, Brussels and Prague.

"The book is intended to educate, inform and entertain the reader into the world of beer and all its diversity," said Hampson. "Within its pages can be found not just the exciting beers from some of the world's best craft brewers, but the most popular beers from the key brewing nations, too."

Many breweries are featured and one or two - or in some cases, three or four - beers are profiled. The descriptions are not too heavy-handed as to scare people away.

A good example is the description of South Deerfield's Berkshire Brewing Company's Drayman's Porter: "Coffee-like aromas, a complex middle (chocolate and toffee), and a pleasantly bitter finish."

The good thing about the book, it's not just for beginners. There's plenty to keep those who know a lot about beer interested.

A key to that is the deep list of contributors Hampson gathered for the book including Ron Pattison, a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers; Lorenzo Dabove, an Italian craft beer expert; and Stan Hieronymous, a U.S. beer writer.

The book's forward is written by Sam Calagione of the Dogfish Head craft brewery of Delaware.

"No one person can today know everything about the burgeoning world of beer and its astonishing diversity," said Hampson. "I have worked with local correspondents, who act as the readers' eyewitnesses to some of the most exciting beer countries in the world. They have local knowledge and a passion for beer which they have brought to the pages of the book."

The book, Hampson said, is one bartenders should seek out, and he offered advice to servers.

"Care about beer, enthuse about it," he said. "Learn about it. Be proud of what you sell. Make sure that everything you do at work is dedicated to ensuring the customer gets the perfect beer served every time."

Hampson said he hopes "The Beer Book," inspires others to share in his love of ales and lagers.

"My passion for the golden nectar comes from a love of people and the stories they tell," he said. "Brewers are wonderfully creative people conjuring miracles with beer's four ingredients water, malted barley, hops and yeast and they love to talk about what they do.

"Beer, too, is a marvelous social lubricant, which has positively influenced our societies for thousands of years an understanding of the role of beer, the brewer and the places where it is drunk is a window into our past and present," he continued. "It has influenced so much of what we take for granted including religion, politics, the law, humor and music. Beer is much more than just a drink."